Catholics expect 300,000 at Masses

Press, 12 February 1986, Page 3

Catholics expect 300,000 at Masses

PA Wellington Up to 300,000 people were expected to attend three open air Masses Pope John Paul would celebrate in New Zealand, said a spokesman for the Catholic Church yesterday. The national director of Papal Visit Aoteoroa, Ltd, Mr Patrick Gaines, said he expected 60,000 others to attend a youth rally in Auckland. Releasing details of the

visit in November, Mr Gaines said the Pope would arrive in Auckland at 2 p.m. on November 22 after a 24-hour stopover in Fiji. He would be welcomed at the airport by the Gov-ernor-General, Sir Paul Reeves, and the Prime Minister, Mr Lange. The Pope would then celebrate an open-air Mass. The venue for the Mass had not been decided but it would be either Ellerslie Racecourse or Auckland Domain. In the evening the Pope would attend a youth rally hosted by the Catholic Youth of New Zealand, probably at Eden Park. On November 23, the Pope would fly to Wellington, arriving at 9 a.m., Mr Gaines said, and would make an official visit to Government House, where he would meet Sir Paul and Mr Lange, he said. An open-air Mass would follow at a venue still to be decided. After the Mass, the Pope would attend a special function to meet the sick and the elderly. In the evening he would hold a working meeting with Catholic bishops. The Pope would arrive in Christchurch the next day at 9 a.m. An ecumenical service would be held at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament and an openair Mass at Lancaster Park. The Pope would leave from Christchurch Airport for Canberra at 2 p.m. Mr Gaines said the Pope’s tour of New Zealand was a State visit and

the costs incurred would be shared by the Church and the Government. "The State will be responsible for transport, security, and accommodation,” he said. “However, the Pope and eight others will stay in Church accommodation and on Church grounds.” Mr Gaines said there would be 32 people in the papal entourage and 40 foreign journalists and 30 photographers would accompany the Pontiff. A silver fern and a bishop’s mitre feature on the logo chosen as the official symbol of the Pope’s visit to New Zealand. Mr Gaines said the logo was chosen from many designs submitted from throughout New Zealand. The design has the words “Pope John Paul II Aoteoroa 1986” in blue colouring over the top. Mr Gaines said the main function of the company, Papal Visit Aoteoroa, formed for the Pope’s visit, was administrative rather than marketing. At the same time the Church did not want to impose the burden of the cost of the visit on any particular group. However, franchising rights would be given for only those souvenirs that showed "good taste,” he said. The company would be wound up after. the visit.